The great thing about physical therapy is you, as the patient, have the ability to challenge yourself with the help of your therapist. While we work with you in the clinic, we also encourage you to continue with prescribed exercises at home. It may seem overwhelming, on top of all your other day-to-day responsibilities, but to help you achieve what you’re looking for in treatment, it’s important to set PT goals. Here are a few tips to doing so.
1. Discuss with your Physical Therapist what you’re hoping to achieve once your treatment is completed. It could be getting back to running, playing with grandchildren, fine tuning motor skills or getting full range of motion back. The first step to goal setting is determining the goal.
2. Write the goals down. You can measure what you don’t keep track of. Being able to tangibly mark off a goal helps you feel accomplished and having it there to remind you can help you achieve the goal.
3. Follow through with the treatment plan. As physical therapists, we can provide you with exercises and treatments, but if you’re not willing to stick with it or carry your treatment home, you’ll have a difficult time achieving results. Complete the work, and give it 110 percent to get to where you want to be.
4. Seek support from family and friends. Your PT will always be there to cheer you on during and after treatment but not having friends and family doing the same can make recovery more difficult. Make sure you ask and recruit people to help ensure you stay on track and make it through treatment. Everything is easier with a support system.
5. And don’t forget to celebrate the milestones and your achievement. You worked hard, put in the effort and stuck with it. Keep yourself motivated by celebrating all the wins! There’s nothing like rewarding yourself for a job well done.
Physical therapy can be challenging, but with the right goals, mindset and support you can conquer and achieve what you were looking to get out of it. To learn more about our services and team visit our website. We’d be happy to cheer you on as well!
